Back to Me
by music4life1203
Summary: So I'm not good with summaries, but if you're into romance, second chances, and reincarnation, then this story is for you. Check it out and follow if it seems like the story for you :)
1. Chapter 1

There was pain all over his body. He could feel surrounding him and the person next to him. As he tried to get up, his muscles and nerves quivered, tired from the over exertion of his body. But he was not ready to give up. He knew that he could, or he would lose everything that was precious to him. So he fought back the unsettling nerves and pushed his body up with whatever will power he had left.

His vision was blurred significantly. But when his body calmed down, he saw the mass amount of destruction that was around him. The world looked like it had been burned to a crisp. Debris was everywhere, and there were glimpses of corpses and body parts. He could recognize some of them, but not all of them. A few tears streamed down his face as he managed to sit up a little. There was a red hue surrounding the world that he knew. He looked down and saw that his companion Lucy, was unconscious next to him, but slowly starting to regain consciousness. When she realized what was going on, she shot up quickly, also taking in her surroundings. She couldn't help but cry and wail for her fallen comrades. Natsu, not wanting Lucy to cry, quickly wrapped his arm around her.

"Don't cry Luce. I know it hurts but don't cry. We have to try and get out of here. Before he comes back..."

After a few minutes of calming down, Lucy wiped her tears and helped Natsu stand up. He put his arm around her for support and they slowly made their way towards and nearby cave, hoping to try and and get some shelter from the end of the world. They had to look past the bodies of the people they loved and cared about, wishing to mourn them just a little later, when everything had calmed down. But that time would never come to them.

A strong gust of wind hit them hard, making the two stumble a little bit. In front of them, a large blue and black dragon snarled in front of them, blood lust in his eyes. Natsu and Lucy shivered in fear, knowing that they were both badly hurt and that they couldn't do much to save themselves. Acnologia smiled evilly at the two.

"Ah... more prey... how fortunate."

Natsu tensed and it didn't go unnoticed by Lucy. He sighed and focused on how he was going to defeat the opponent before. Lucy could feel Natsu's side get warmer and she immediately knew exactly what he was going to do. Acnologia began to speed quickly towards them, getting ready to finish the final blow. Lucy knew that she couldn't let Natsu die trying to protect her. He had already protected her, since the first that she met him. Now it was her turn. As Acnologia came closer and closer, Lucy turned to look at Natsu one last time.

"Natsu, please forgive me." she whispered.

Confused, Natsu looked at Lucy. She smiled before pushing him out of the way. Natsu fell to the ground hard, fear and regret in his eyes. There wasn't anything that he could do to try and save her. He just ended up watching the woman he loved die right before his eyes. Acnologia's tail pierced Lucy in her abdomen. The satisfying noise of blood squelching made Acnologia smile in delight.

Paralyzed and not wanting to believe that he just lost the one person he cared about the most, Natsu crawled with all his might towards Lucy, who lay nearly lifeless on the ground, blood pouring out of her mouth as she coughed hard. The tears were streaming hard down Natsu's face.

"Lucy! Why?! Why?!" he wailed. Lucy looked at Natsu and smiled.

"You've always... protected me... I wanted to... protect you." she whispered weakly. Natsu gently caressed her face, trying to wipe the blood off of her face. But he couldn't stop his body from shaking or his tears.

"Please don't leave me Lucy... I can't do it. I need ya, Luce. I love you..." He felt her weak hand hold his cheek and she smiled at him. She mustered up all her strength to utter her final words.

"Now go save the world. I love you too, Natsu."

He hand dropped from his face and she was no longer in this world. He could hear Acnologia laughing in the distance, proud of his second to last kill. His lips licked in pleasure, knowing that he was able to take this world by force.

"Ahh. That was good. But I won't be satisfied until I kill you, Natsu Dragneel. I won't be happy until this world is sent into hell. I will make this world to my liking! I am now God!"

Natsu trembled angrily, his whole body being consumed by fire. He couldn't think anymore. He couldn't even hear Acnologia's screams. He just felt the his whole body engulfing the world around him, destroying anything and everything in his path. Acnologia was no more, everything was no more, except Lucy and him. Natsu held Lucy close to him, knowing that this was his final attack and that he wouldn't be alive after this. So he held on to the one girl that he loved, and he made sure that even in death, he would still protect her no matter.

"If there is a God up there, please let me meet Lucy in the next life. Let there be peace and let me be able to love her and go on more adventures with her. Please..."

Natsu's breath gave away. The last person on earthland was finally gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy woke up in a fluster, her chest heaving up and down from the lack of oxygen that she had received while she slept. It felt like she had actually died this time, compared to the last few times she had that dream. There was always a mysterious boy whose face she couldn't see. The dream had been occurring for a few months now, but she never told anyone about it. She figured that maybe she was having nightmares, due to the fact that she always ate before she went to bed. But this time felt way too real. She would talk to her therapist Mira Jane about it later.

Lucy took a quick glance over to the clock on her night stand, seeing that the time read '7:02'. She sighed, know that if she didn't get up now, then she would over sleep and be late to school. She shuddered at the thought of what her father would say.

Shedding her clothes from her skin and stepping into the shower, Lucy embraced the warm water, liking the way that it woke up her tired body and how it reminded her of her fiery best friend. The longer she took the shower, the more that her heart warmed.

In Lucy's eyes, Natsu Dragneel was a man on a mission. He wanted to find his one and only father, Igneel, who abandoned him when he was just a babe. Although he was taken in by Makarov, the head master of Fairy Tail Academy, Natsu still yearned to find out who his real father was. And while this was the main focus of his whole life, Natsu still chose to live his youth to the fullest. Whether that meant getting in to fights with Gray or planting pranks throughout the whole school, Natsu never stopped being himself, no matter what.

Lucy thought about her best friend and was jealous of his freedom. He could be whoever he wanted to be and do whatever he wanted to do. He didn't have to live up to an image or try to pretend to be someone else. But Lucy? Well, her father didn't want her reputation to be tarnished ever. That meant getting to school on time, keep up good grades and a good image. Even though he spent most of his time working, he kept a close eye on his daughter and her activities, making sure that she was a spitting example of a perfect daughter.

But what her father didn't know, wouldn't hurt.

At times, Lucy would secretly hang out in one of the club rooms called the Fairy Tail Campus Support Club or FTCSC. Even though they did minimal things like clean up around the school, or help with events, that was the one place that Lucy truly felt like she could be herself and live her life like how she wanted to. That was the first time that she could truly be free and she didn't plan on telling her father at all about her escape. It was the one thing that she could hold on to.

As Lucy put on her socks and outfit for school, she heard something rustling outside her window. It sounded like a while animal, and it was dangerously close towards her window. Just as she was about to open it, her butler, Loke, burst through her room door, breathing heavily.

"Miss Lucy, we have an emergency!" he said, out of breath. He took a minute to catch it, constantly putting his finger up to signal that he needed a minute. Lucy lightly giggled at the young boy, who in return, glared at her.

"Somebody had breached the grounds. We don't know who it is, but we think he may be a threat. You are advised to stay in your room until we find him." he said. Lucy's body tensed.

"Who do you think it is? Can you give me a description so I can be on the look out for him?" she said hesitantly.

"Yes, miss. He's a very lean build, brown eyes and pink hair," Loke said seriously.

Lucy's face deadpanned and the first thought that came to her mind was, _'I'm going to kill that idiot.'_

Loke bowed and quickly walked out of the room, going to alert the other staff members of the intrusion. Lucy sighed and laid on her bed, slightly undoing her blouse, feeling a little hot from the humid August air. As she took this moment to relax, she once again heard rustling from her window. She then decided to grab one of her shoes and creep towards the window. As she slowly unlocked the window and opened it, the creature or person leap through the window and pounced on her, pinning her on the ground.

She yelped loudly and heard a huge, "Ow!" before realizing who it was. She looked up at the boy at hit him again with her shoe.

"Ow Luce, would ya quit it already?" He said angrily. Lucy glared at him furiously.

"Well maybe you shouldn't go sneaking around my house and alerting the security!" Lucy yelled.

As Natsu was about to retort, his face blushed with embarrassment. Confused, Lucy down to see what the problem was and realized that in the process of her pouncing, her blouse had exposed much more than some slight cleavage, but now her whole bra. Lucy's face was now the color of a tomato. She would never be a suitable bride to anyone. But to make matters worse, Loke came rushing back to see if Lucy was okay after hearing her yelp. To say the least, the situation wasn't helping.

"L-loke..." Lucy whispered.

"Y-you... sick... bastard!" Loke shouted. Natsu quickly got up, trying to calm the angry man down. Lucy quickly buttoned up her blouse and got up along with her. Loke began to stomp towards Natsu with a rage of unknown proportions when Lucy stepped in front of him.

"It was an accident Loke! I swear!" she pleaded.

"Who are ya calling a bastard, ya orange haired freak!" yelled Natsu.

Lucy couldn't help but deal with the fight that was about to ensue. She just watched, sweating at little at the two men, wondering why God looked down on her.

* * *

"Lucy, you better be lucky that your father was on a business trip and not here. He would've had a heart attack..."

"I'm sorry Loke. I didn't know that this one was going to show up." she said blatantly. Natsu rubbed the back of his head in discomfort, remembering the hit on the head that Lucy gave him earlier.

"Still, you two should get to school on time. Since I know that you can get past our security, I know that you'll keep her safe. We have to talk to someone to get better security now..." Audibly sighing, Loke shooed the two teenagers off into the world, hoping that he was doing the right thing by keeping them safe. He could tell that the boy cared about Lucy and hoped that he made the right decision.

While Loke sauntered off to finish his work, Lucy was scolding her best friend.

"Natsu, why did you have to go and do that? You know that you're not supposed to come to my house. What if my father was here?" she whined. The pink haired boy just rolled his eyes.

"So what, does it matter if he was here or not? Besides, I wanted to see where you live. Nice crib." he grinned. Lucy huffed in annoyance.

"Still Natsu. My dad wants me to keep up an image, for the company." she whispered.

Natsu stared at her, taking in all her features. If he could, he would take Lucy far away and keep her away from her father, so that she could be free. But he knew that the right moment would come eventually. He just had to be patient. He ran in front of the girl and stopped her in her tracks. Grabbing her hand, he grinned at her.

"Lucy, you can be who ever you want to be at Fairy Tail. Never forget that your friends won't let you ever stop being yourself." he said.

Lucy stared at the boy in astonishment. Even if Lucy felt like the worst person in the world, Natsu always found a way to make her smile. It was one of the few things that Natsu was able to do that no one else could do, not even Loke. She made a noise of approval and smiled back at the boy.

"Now let's hurry!" he yelled.

Lucy laughed as the two ran towards their favorite school ever, Fairy Tail High. Lucy had a feeling that this would be a great day.


	3. Chapter 3

The third period bell rang, waking up a sleepy Natsu and making Lucy's heart race in excitement. It was lunchtime, and that meant hanging out with all her fairy tail club members. As she walked with her best friend, she got tackled by a light blue haired girl, who hugged her as tight as she could.

"Lucy! I've missed you so much! How was your summer?" Levy asked.

"Pretty good. And yourself?" said Lucy.

The two girls started chatting about their summer while Natsu dragged along behind them, bored out of his mind. Just as he was about to join the conversation, someone poured multiple ice cubs down his back. Natsu shrieked and started squirming all over, trying to remove them as fast as he could. I could hear jovial laughter in the background. He growled evilly and turned around to see his rival, Gray Fullbuster give him a shit eating grin.

"Sorry Natsu, but it looked like you needed to cool off for a bit." he said. The pink menace turned around and glared at the black haired boy, staring at him with hate and anger. He quickly walked up to the boy and glared at him, before socking him right in the face. Gray sat up a little bit on the ground, glaring at the boy. He slowly got up and stalked towards Natsu, an angry glare on his face. Lucy and Levy stopped their conversation, knowing that this was a fight bound to happen. They sighed in reluctance.

"Big Mistake, Hot head. I think the summer heat turned you into more of an idiot." said Gray.

"Oh yeah, then maybe you staying under all that air conditioning turned your brain into a ice pop." said Natsu, irking Gray enough to send him over the edge.

With a swift move, Gray punched Natsu in the face, making him stumble back a bit, but not enough to fall. At this point, both Lucy and Levy were worried that things were starting to get out of hand, when a young red haired woman walked past them. She was almost like a ghost, slipping past without as much as making a sound. The two girls shuddered in fear.

"You punch like a little girl." said Natsu.

Gray growled a little and launched him at Natsu. Natsu did the same, and the two prepared to deal some blows when someone smashed both of their heads into each other. Dazed and confused, they two crumpled to the floor, unable to move from the pain. The young red haired woman stood tall and proud, anger radiating off of her.

"Gray. Natsu. This is no time for games, Especially on the first day of classes. Fighting is not permitted." Erza said proudly. With a quick motion, Erza had the two boys slumped over her shoulders, taking them to the lunch. Lucy and Levy giggled at the state of the two.

As they followed behind Erza, Lucy thought about how her life was turning out. She had close friends, went to a pretty decent high school, and was part of the world's greatest club. The only thing that would make things better was if she had her mother in her life. She couldn't help her mind drift off, thinking about her mother. Maybe it was because she was starting her sophomore year off without her, or maybe because she wished that her father didn't change the way that he did. Either way, Lucy wished that her mother could have seen the life that she was living now. She was finally taken out of her trance when Levy poked her shoulder.

"Lucy? You okay?" Levy asked hesitantly.

"Oh, y-yeah. I'm just thinking about how I'm ready to start off sophomore year right. I can't believe that we're halfway done with high school!" Lucy said. Even though she tried to play it off, Levy knew that her best friend was thinking about her mother. But instead of pressing further, she decided that changing to subject would probably be better.

"Yeah. Maybe this year I'll finally get a boyfriend." Levy said.

"Well, you do know that Gajeel has been pining for you since like 7th grade. Maybe you should give him a chance?" Lucy suggested. Levy gave a hearty laugh and smiled evilly at the blonde haired girl.

"I will when you finally admit that you have feelings for Natsu." Lucy blushed and quickly ran off into the lunchroom, ignoring Levy's cackles and heading straight for the lunch line. It's not like she didn't ever think about Natsu in that way, its just that she wasn't sure that Natsu saw her in that way. She knew that they had been friends for years and that there have been times when she thought that Natsu was finally going to confess. But every single time, he remained oblivious to the blonds feelings. So she just kept them to herself, always just being there for him when he needed her the most.

She looked over at the boys sitting at their usual table with Erza, joking around and laughing to themselves. The way Natsu smiles made the whole lunch room just a little bit brighter. Or the fact that Natsu's eyes always made her heard beat a little bit faster. Or even when she was close to him and could feel his body heat latched on to her own, making her sweat a little- she shook her heads from those thoughts.

As she got her food, she accidentally bumped into a boy, not noticing who it was. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that." she said. When she looked up, she noticed a black haired boy with black eyes. She got up and extended her hand, helping the young boy up. "Are you okay?" she asked. He nodded his head and looked how at his ruined shirt.

"Although, I don't think my shirt or yours is okay." he said. Lucy couldn't have explained it but she immediately a dark aura around this kid. Maybe it was his lifeless eyes or his dark smirk, but he made her feel uncomfortable. Ignoring her feelings of unease, she led the boy to a table with some napkins and utensils, patting and wiping away what she could.

"You don't have to do all this miss. I can take care of some of this." he said.

"Don't worry. I was the one who knocked into you. It's the least I can do." she said happily.

"By the way, " Lucy whispered, "What year are you?"

"Freshman. More like fresh meat." he said, eyes rolling.

"Trust me, I've been there. I'm a sophomore this year, so I can show you around." she said, smiling.

"You sure about that? I wouldn't want to impose on you." he said.

"Trust me, it won't be a problem. By the way, I never told you my name. I'm Lucy!" she beamed. The boy smiled and graciously bowed to her.

"Zeref. It's a pleasure to meet you." he said. And although Lucy couldn't explain it, it gave her chills that reached her core. Natsu watched the two intently.

* * *

As the last bell rang for the school day, Lucy happily skipped towards the club room. The rest of the day went well. She got to meet a new friend and she truly felt like an upper class man, showing the new freshmen around and really getting to know Zeref. Although she had a bad feeling in her stomach about him, she chose to ignore it and get to know the kid before she judged him.

Just as she made her way towards FTCSC, she felt someone pull her arm back and push her up against the wall. With one arm gripping her waist and the other above her head, Natsu manged to worm his way into her personal space. Lucy couldn't help but blush, her heart beating at the close proximity.

"N-natsu. What are you doing?" she asked hesitantly. He just stared intently into her eyes, searching for answers, and hoping to get them.

"Who was that guy you were with? You've spent the whole day around him..." he whispered. Lucy glared at him, mad at the fact that this was the reason he pulled her aside.

"Really? That's what you're worried about? Me hanging with another guy?" she said. She pushed passed him and headed towards the club, but he grabbed her hand again, forcing her to look at him.

"Lucy, you don't understand. That guy, he just gives me a bad feeling." he said. She glared at Natsu.

"He's a really sweet guy, Natsu. You should try to give him a chance. Beside, what does it matter to you?" she said.

"Lucy, I'm telling you, he's bad news. Stop hanging around him, alright." he said. The intensity in his eyes made Lucy's heart flutter. As much as she agreed with Natsu, he always did this whenever Lucy was remotely interested in another guy, other than him. It frustrated her and made her feel like she was trapped in this limbo of loving him and moving on. But enough was enough. She was was tired of these mind games and she was going to free herself from his grasp.

"No." she whispered.

"Luce, listen-"

"NO. You don't get to do this to me. Always stepping in and steering me away from someone I might actually like. You keep putting this hold on me and you make it harder to move on. I'm sick of always feeling this way, Natsu!" she yelled.

Natsu released her arm and started at his blond best friend that he's known all his life. He couldn't grasp what Lucy was trying to say, so naturally, he expressed his confusion.

"Lucy, I don't understand. What are you trying to say?" he asked.

For Lucy, it was like time had stopped. Like everything was moving slowly, and that the words that came out his mouth weren't real. But the more that they played in her head, the more that she couldn't help but feel the tears threatening to slip out of her eyes. She was tired of holding these feelings in. She was tired of her heart aching for him. Instead, she chose to let it out, knowing that this could change the course of history for the both of them. Turning around, she sealed her fate, the tears finally spilling and allowing her some release.

"Natsu, I love you." she said.

"W-what?" he said.

"I love you. I have since the moment I met you, when I had run away from home and you found me in that alleyway. And even now, I still love you." she said.

She gave him a weak smile, happy that she got it out, but already feeling the worst was to come. And it did.

"Lucy, I'm sorry but I... I just don't feel that way about you." he said quietly.

There was silence between the two. Then, Lucy ran, as far away as she could. From Natsu, from Fairy Tail, from everything. She could hear Natsu call but her ears were blocked from the sound. Lucy just ran, letting her legs and most of her emotions take her where they wanted to. She eventually found herself at her mother's grave, hoping that she would be comforted by the pain she was feeling.

* * *

A young man with long silver hair stared over the city of Magnolia, taking in it's luxurious view. He grinned, but the intentions behind it were sinister, almost blood thirsty. The wind blew heavily and goosebumps grazed his skin. It was pleasurable feeling to see the city that brought his demise.

"The world has slept for years, thinking that what they knew was truth. But I will awaken the memories that were lost. And I will have my revenge on that man that brought me down. I will drink his blood and will not stop until I get what I need." he whispered.

He raised his hands and magic flowed out of them and into the night sky.

"Awaken! Let the memories of the past flourishing through and remember who you are!" he yelled, his cackles echoing into the night sky.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys! So sorry about the late update. I have been transitioning into my junior year of college, so I am still getting used to things and also unpacking. I thank you all for being patient and loving the story so far. That's why, after finally getting a break from friends and school, you wonderful readers will get two updates to the story today. Here is the first! Enjoy! :)

* * *

When Lucy finally made it to her bedroom, she shed the clothes off her body and headed to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, the hot water steadily came out, eventually filling the tub to a height that was suitable. With the water almost scalding, Lucy slowly stepped into the tub, before submerging herself. She closed her eyes, hoping to forget the events of today. Hoping to forget the fact that she had just told her best friend that she was in love with him and that he flat out rejected her. The more she thought about it, the more she wished she had never met Natsu Dragneel.

Lucy felt so comfortable in the tub that she began to fall asleep, something she never usually did when bathing herself. But maybe it was the fact that she was emotionally upset. Or maybe it was because this was the only relaxing moment to herself. Nonetheless, Lucy Heartfilia was falling into the depths of slumber. And the moment her consciousness faded, and her body was finally resting, she was stuck there, until her memories allowed her to leave.

At first, it looked like she was watching a movie, one that was all about her in some magical land where everything and everyone was full of magic. Everyone was in her dream, from her mother to her closest friends. Even Natsu, the boy who broke her heart, was there. There were dragons, talking cats with wings, laughter, and just overall fun. But as she looked at the images, they began to turn dark and sinister, revealing scenes that Lucy couldn't help but cry about. People dying, screams, heartbreak... it all just seemed like it was too much. In fact, to Lucy, it felt too damn real, as if she went through all of this. But for a moment, the memories stopped, easing her of some sort of release.

And then the pain started.

A piercing, sharp pain right in the middle of her abdomen. At first, she mistakenly thought this was experiencing period cramps, and that maybe it was her time of the month. But this pain became increasingly worse, and she could have sworn that she was dying- no she knew that she was dying. Soon enough, her body was engulfed in flames. But this wasn't the kind of flames that would burn her alive. No, these flames comforted her, like a new born baby in the arms of its mother. This eased her so much that she eventually forgot about the pain coming from her abdomen. Then, there was nothing.

* * *

Lucy shot up out of the tub, water going everywhere. It was all coming back to her. Everything that she could have ever possibly forgotten about her past life came flooding back. She remembered the day she met Natsu to the day that she died with Natsu. She shuddered in fear and picked herself up out of the now ice cold water, wrapping her towel around her wet body. When she walked out, she saw Loke, huffing and puffing, frantically looking at Lucy with confusion.

"L-Lucy?" he asked her.

"Loke..." she said.

Without a second thought, Loke ran up to Luce and hugged her. Eventually, all her servants came in and they stared at her. Their tears streamed down their eyes and they smiled happily.

"My servants... no... my friends. You guys are my friends!" Lucy cried. Everyone eventually gathered around her and hugged her as tightly as she could. As this moment of reunion continued, Lucy couldn't help but wonder what happened to Aquarius. She knew that she was somewhere, in this world that she was accustomed to. She was determined to find her. But her questions would eventually come later. She pulled back from her spirits, the tension in the air becoming clearer as the seconds passed.

"I know this is great and all, but how do I have these memories? How did I get resurrected and how are we here?" Lucy asked. All of her spirits looked at each other tentatively.

"We wish we could tell you, but we're sworn to secrecy. The Celestial Spirit King made us do so." said Aries. Lucy frowned before her eye brows lift up in happiness.

"I know. I'll just summon him and get the answer out of him." Just as Lucy was about to , Loke stopped her, gently resting his hand on shoulder.

"Lucy, can you even tap into your magic, after so long? Plus, we don't want you to tap into your magic so soon." he said. Lucy nodded her head and sadly looked down. Loke couldn't help but smile at her, laughing at her cuteness. Just as Lucy was about to respond, an explosion was heard outside of the mansion. They all quickly ran down to see the destruction and fire that raged the town of Magnolia. The screams of the of the people increased tenfold as the evil dragon Acnologia breathed fire on to the town. Lucy couldn't help but drop to her knees in horror, shocked to see the beautiful town that she had loved so much slowly come to the brink of destruction. Acnologia laughed heartily.

"Yes! Burn! Fairy Tail! Do you see the destruction that you have caused?! This is your doing!" he laughed, throwing some more fire balls. "If you want this to end, then you have one year Fairy Tail, one year to try and stop me once and for all! But when I return... death will come upon you!"

After finally throwing his last fire ball, he flew away, his laughter echoing in the distant. While Magnolia burned in the distance, Lucy just stood still. Everything she loved was gone. She couldn't help but run into the town, ignoring the protests behind her to stop. All she could think about was her friends that could still be in the debris. Lucy had never run as fast as she possibly could.


	5. Chapter 5

Here is the second update guys. I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

Lucy eventually made her way towards the city. There was debris everywhere, and even a few body parts and streams of blood. Lucy couldn't help but empty the contents of her stomach from the sights, tears streaming down her face. When she finally finished, she wiped her mouth with her sleeve and kept running, heading straight for her high school. When she finally made it, she relieved to see that it remained somewhat unscathed. She immediately entered the building and headed towards the Fairy Tail club room. Once she got there, she saw her friends, frantic and fearful. But their moods changed the minute they saw Lucy bust in.

"Is everyone okay?!" she said frantically. Everyone smiled and rushed towards her, happy to know that their dear friend was okay. She was flustered by the outright support of love, Lucy couldn't help but blush at the fact that all her friends were worried about her. She couldn't stop the smile that was coming to her face. While everyone began flooding the girl with a bunch of questions, the sound of a chair sliding on the floor stopped everyone's chatter.

After much shifting and turning, Natsu came emerged from the crowd, stopped right in front of Lucy. She couldn't help but look away from the boy. He barely just broke her heart and now, once again, she was in front of him. As much as she loved the silence, she knew that she would eventually have to speak to him. Especially when this was a time when they needed to come together.

"Natsu, I-"

The moment she spoke, she felt herself being pulled into Natsu's warm embrace. His arms tightened around her waist and he buried his face deep into her neck, taking in her scent. She couldn't help but melt into his arms, knowing it was wrong, but feeling so right. She almost forgot about her friends surrounding her. Just when she was ready to melt even further into the boy, he suddenly pulled away.

"Um Luce, no offense but... why do you smell like puke?" he said. Her eyes widened and she realized what had happened earlier.

"Guys, Magnolia is... it's been reduced to a pile of ash. We have to go help." she said.

"You're right Lucy. They do need our help. But first, we need to make sure that Master Makarov is okay. So let's split up into groups for now." said Erza, also emerging from the crowd. Lucy nodded her head in agreement.

"Just be prepared guys. It's, really, really bad out there..." Lucy said sadly. The people in the room instantly got quiet, knowing the implications of her statement.

"Understood. For now, Team Shadow Gear will go look for the master. The Thunder Legion will begin setting up a protective barrier around Magnolia. Everyone will head out and help those in need. Now let's go!" shouted Erza. Everyone chanted happily and ran out, ready to help. Just as Lucy was about to go out with them, Natsu held on to her hand, pulling her back from joining the rest of the crew. Eventually, everyone was gone. Lucy quickly pulled her hand away from him.

"What, Natsu?" she asked nonchalantly. His face frowned instantly, noting her choice of tone. He took one step forwards, and she took one step back. He huffed.

"Luce. Don't be like this to me. Don't do this..." he said.

"What do you mean? Do what? As far as I'm concerned, we're friends." she said, looking away from him. Natsu quickly walked up to her and grabbed her chin, turning her face towards him. She looked at him with an intensity that almost looked like flames. His belly warmed in delight. He had to fight off the urge to kiss her right then and there.

"Luce, don't do this. We almost-"

"Don't. Our past memories don't define us now. As far as I'm concerned, you don't love me in this life. Now we've got a job to do. Are you coming or not?" she said. He stared at her. He reluctantly nodded his head and the two ran out of the room, not speaking another word to each other for the next two hours.

* * *

Once the people of Magnolia were safe and accounted for, and the police were able to take over for the moment, all the tired members of Fairy Tail headed towards their school, hoping to find some answers to their burning questions. As they filled up the gymnasium, they all chattered about what exactly was going on. Lucy was waiting behind the curtain, nervous about how she was going to explain what was happening. While she had a fear of stage fright, Makarov came up behind her and smiled.

"Nervous?" he asked. She jumped a little and smiled at her master.

"Yeah. I just don't know how to break the news to them. I just hope they don't hate me." she quietly said. Makarov headed towards the stage. But just before he went out, he stopped and looked at Lucy.

"These are your family. They won't hate you. Trust me." he said. With that, he walked on to the stage, leaving the young girl in awe of his assertiveness.

"Fairy Tail. Recently, as you all know, Magnolia was attacked and we were all reincarnated into this life. All of our memories came back, so we all know how we lived and how we died. We also know about the threat of Acnologia and how he destroyed the world. And now he's back. But we know how we got here. Lucy will tell us." he said.

Lucy took a deep breath and walked out. She saw all her friends staring at her, smiling and encouraging her to do her best. Finally, she made it to the podium and hoped that her next words would allow her some mercy.

"The moment that we regained our memories, I regained my spirits. But I also gained some information that might change how you feel about me..." she quietly said. The crowd murmured, concerned. Tears began to build up in Lucy's eyes.

"The Celestial Spirit King reincarnated us. I don't know why he did what he did, but I plan to find out. I need to build up my magical power so I can finally ask him why. But for now I can't... I'm so sorry, guys." Lucy said, her voice wavering. As she cried, her friend Levy jumped up on stage. She immediately tried to comfort the girl.

"It's not your fault Lucy. We don't blame you." Levy soothingly said. Levy led the girl offstage, hoping to give her some privacy with her grief. Makarov chose to address the crow instead.

"I know you are all furious. But we were reincarnated for a reason. And know that we have our memories, we need to fight for the lives that were lost today, and the future that we aren't promised. We need to get stronger and so, we will all be training for this next year. We have to stop Acnologia from destroying more lives. Now who's with me!" Makarov yelled.

His stirring speech managed to get everyone riled up. He was proud of his children and he hoped that this passion would help them win the battle against that terrifying demon. They needed all the help that they could get. Eventually, they would have to reach out to other guilds. As he turned and looked at the young blond girl crying in the corner, whether it was now or later, she would be the key to their victory.


	6. Chapter 6

Lucy stared into the window to look at that city of Magnolia being rebuilt. She couldn't help but think about the bodies scattered streets and the families mourning their lost loved ones. In that time, their high school was turned into a guild hall, with built in rooms and bathrooms for each member or family. But they couldn't house any of the towns people who lived in the city, being that they were trying to stay away to protect the people. A single tear slipped down her face, but she quickly wiped it away, knowing that it was time for her to get stronger. She got up from her bed and headed into the bathroom, where she began drawing a bath to ease her nerves. Shedding her clothes of her pajamas, she descended into the bath, closing her eyes once more, allowing herself to feel the warmth of the water. Soon enough, she felt herself falling asleep in the water.

The moment she let her conscious go, it was as if she was taken to another realm. She woke up sitting on a bench, gazing off into the sky without a care in the world. It took her a moment to realize where she was, but when she did, her heart warmed. The smell of the sea couldn't have hit her hard enough. As she took a stroll through the port city of Hargeon, she noticed a crowd gathering around a certain man, claiming to be Salamander. She didn't know why, but she felt like she had been looking for this person all her life. The moment she got through the crowd, she was enamored by the sight.

He was a tall man with blue hair and the most enticing black eyes. Lucy's heart fluttered and she felt like she was about to burst. In her heart, she knew that this was the man she was meant to marry. But something was off. It was like she couldn't control herself or break free, as if she was trapped in this lovesick world.

And then a young man came stumbling through, falling flat on his face. Lucy's eye fell to the pink haired boy. She looked at the pink haired boy just as he looked at her. In that moment, her heart thumped loudly. Words came out of the boys mouth, but she couldn't hear it at first. But his voice got louder and louder, to the point where she could hear it in her ear. Then she woke up.

She was pulled from under the water, the lack of oxygen hitting her at full force. She felt light headed, but then, when she finally managed to calm down. She felt a hand squeezing her arm tightly, and when she realized who it was, she squeaked in embarrassment. She immediately covered her exposed breasts and looked away.

"Natsu, what are you doing here?" Lucy asked quietly.

The young boy looked away, his face slightly red, giving away his embarrassment. Even though he had already saw her nipples, he tried to give her some form of courtesy by looking away. "I came to get you for the meeting in the auditorium. I knocked on your door, but then I heard splashing and was worried about you. So I came in here..." he said sheepishly. There was a moment of silence between the two before Lucy grunted in discomfort. Natsu, understanding what she meant, headed out for the door and into the bedroom, waiting for the young girl to finished getting changed.

The minute he closed the door, Lucy finished bathing herself before drying off and changing into a simple pair of a long sleeved shirt and sweats. Natsu was patiently on her bed, looking outside the window. The moment he looked at her, her heart made that big thump, just like in her dream. She couldn't help but let her face get warm.

"What's going on in the auditorium?" she asked quietly.

"Oh yeah! Master wants us all to meet up in the auditorium. I think that it has to do with our memories coming back." he said.

"What do you mean our memories? You mean, our past life? We're regaining them?" she asked. He nodded slowly. Lucy sat on the bed, staring off into space. "So then, in the bathroom just now-"

"That was your memory coming back to you. What was your memory about?" he asked.

"It was the day I first met you in Hargeon." Lucy said quietly. She couldn't fathom how she could be getting her memories back, especially when she just barely remembered her past life. The whole ordeal made her queasy and she couldn't help but feel the need to throw up. Natsu, seeing the girl stressed, put his hand on her shoulder in hopes of comforting the girl.

"If it helps, that was the first memory I got back too." he said quietly. Lucy looked up at him, noting the faint blush on his cheeks. For a moment, the two just stared at each other, almost as if they were in a trance. But just before she could respond, a knock was heard on the door.

"Lucy! Master Makarov wants us in the auditorium! We gotta go!" said Levy from the other side. Lucy quickly got up and opened the door, happy to see her friend and grateful for her ability to always get her out of an awkward situation. Standing next to Levy was the other dragon slayer, Gajeel, along with their cat Lily.

"Oh! Natsu. We were looking for you too. C'mon, let's head to the auditorium!" Levy said, grabbing Lucy's arm and skipping along the hallway. As the two girls laughed their worries away, Natsu quietly walked along with Gajeel and Lily, lost in his thoughts about the blond girl.

"Bunny girl on ya mind?" Gajeel said.

"Shrimp on the brain?" he asked.

"Hey, I'm the only one who gets to call her shrimp!" Gajeel said loudly. Natsu tried to retaliate but couldn't help but laugh at the guy. Soon enough, both Lily and Gajeel joined in on the laughs. Oh these moments that they missed.

When they finally made it to the auditorium, now turned guild hall, they settled into their seats to listen to what their master had to say. Maybe he had the answers that they were looking for. Something to ease their hearts. The tiny old man jumped on to the podium and it was instant silence.

"Attention children. I know that you all are afraid. I have good news and bad. The good news is that we have managed to put a barrier over the rest of Magnolia and the townspeople are safe, despite their hatred for us. However, we are missing a few members of our family." he said quietly.

Stepping forward from behind the curtain, Erza took her place next to Master Makarov. Her armor shined brightly in the lights, and determination was written all over her face. Lucy knew instantly that she was worried about Jellal. The moment they got their memories back, all Erza could think or speak about was Jellal. They were soulmates, and Erza spent a lifetime being away from him just so he could repent for his sins. Lucy couldn't help but feel for the poor girl.

"That's why, we will be splitting up into groups to find the rest of our members. Without them, we have no chance of defeating Achnologia. To be safe, we need to go back to our original teams. Then, those teams need to travel to find the rest of our family, while those who aren't in a search party must stay here and train. Now that the villagers have forgiven us, we have information on where they might be. That's our official orders!" Erza said proudly.

Everyone in the hall knew that it was time to take back the lives that were cut short. Even Lucy wanted to feel a little revenge, knowing that she could have lived a life where she was happy. She missed those days and she was determined to get it back. Makarov smiled at his family, happy to know that they weren't going down without a fight.

"My children, we will slay Achnologia. We will get back our lives and we won't die trying! We are Fairy Tail and our bond is stronger than life itself! Now head out!" Makarov yelled. The crowd behind him roared before rushing out of the guild hall. Lucy's heart swelled before she ran out as well, determined to find her comrades that were missing.

After all, they needed all the help they could get.


	7. Chapter 7

She ran through the streets of Magnolia, her backpack bobbing up and down up against her back. It was nighttime, and she couldn't figure out how to get back home, or even where she was. All she knew was that she had to get home fast, or the evil men at the bar were going to catch up with her fast. So she kept running, as fast as her little legs could take her.

She ran out after her father scolded her for playing with the house workers again. Her mother wasn't feeling well and was on bed rest, and her father had been taking care of her all day. It wasn't like he was paying much attention to her, and she wanted to do something fun. He didn't have to scold her and get mad at her. So she did the only logical thing: she ran away from home, hoping to start a new life. But who knew it would backfire on her.

Their laughter echoed in the distance, and their footsteps growing louder by the minute. Eventually, Lucy tripped up on a pebble, and falling hard into the ground. The laughter became louder, before turning into sounds of a drunken chorus. Young Lucy couldn't help but stare at the men in fear. They had been coming after her since the moment she tried asking for help. They made fun of her and tried taking her precious kitty backpack, but she ended up kicking them in the shin. After that, she couldn't help but run away from the scary men. But now she was in a bind, being pushed back into the alley by creepy men who followed her.

"Well well well. Looks like we have a Heartfilia on her hands. Do you know how much she could sell for? We could be rich!" one of the men said. Her blood pressure increased and she couldn't help but whimper from fear. They towered over her and reached towards her when someone jumped down and punched one of them in the face, causing them to stagger back into the other two.

It was a little rabid boy, with messy pink hair, ripped clothes, and dirt smeared all over his face. In Lucy's eyes, he was like a prince that had floated from the heavens and came down for this moment, specifically for her. He turned around and gave her a toothy grin, one of his teeth missing. "You're okay now, because I'm here to protect ya, Lucy!" he said.

Her name echoed from his lips, as if they were a mantra.

Lucy...

LUCY.

 **LUCY!**

* * *

Lucy bolted up out of her sleep with a jolt, breathing heavily and worried about an attack. But when she noticed that there was nothing wrong, she looked at the person who rudely woke her and gave them a glare that could have shattered his soul.

"Natsu, it's the middle of the night. What do you want?" Lucy asked.

"I saw you squirming in your sleep and was worried. What were you dreaming about?" he asked, worried.

Out of embarrassment, Lucy looked away and thought about the dream. If she told him, he surely would tease her into next week. Instead, she glared at the boy, wondering what he was doing in her tent in the middle of the night.

"Shouldn't I be asking the questions here?" she asked angrily. Team Natsu was out on a mission to find Wendy and Romeo. They were last seen in Hargeon, and they were tasked with finding the two teens. Lucy was a little antsy about working with Natsu again, especially since they were traveling to Hargeon, the town where they first met. However, she remembered that Wendy and Romeo were some of the few friends that she had come to rely on, so she would do anything to get them back.

"Lucy, I was just worried about you. Sorry..." he said quietly. Lucy looked at the pink haired annoyance before relaxing herself and ruffling his hair. Natsu couldn't help but blush at the contact, liking the way that her fingers tousled his hair.

"Natsu, I'm alright. You don't have to keep worrying about me, especially since we aren't..." she said, refusing to say those last few words that would have reminded her of her past life with him. She was still coming to terms with the fact that he loved her in the past life, but he didn't want her in this life. To Lucy, everything felt forced and she didn't want him to care for her because of what the past dictated. She wanted him to genuinely care for her now. She knew that his stare was boring into her, giving her tingles down her spine. To her, the silence was unbearable.

"Luce, when you got your memories back, did you feel some sort of pain?" he asked. At this point, Natsu was laying right next to Lucy, staring at the stars that shined brightly, through the plastic screen of her tent.

"I did actually. Right in my abdomen. Was that a side effect?" she asked, also laying down to get comfortable.

"No, that was how you died." he said quietly. There was a few minutes of silence before Lucy gasped in realization.

"So..."

"Yeah. You were killed right before my eyes, by that bastard Achnologia. Did you feel anything else?" he asked, hopeful.

"Something warm. It was calming and I didn't feel any pain. I can't put my finger on it..." she said.

Although she didn't know it, there was a slight smile that graced Natsu's face. But he would tell her that bit later. He shifted on his side and looked at Lucy, his intentions becoming clearer by the moment.

"Lucy, I loved you then and I still love you know. I know it's hard to believe because I rejected you but I meant what I said. I love you, Lucy. We were meant to be." he said quietly.

Lucy couldn't help but stare at Natsu, noting how his figure seemed to glow in the moonlight. His chapped lips looked so inviting to her, and his scent was intoxicating. He moved in closer, his eyes lidded and his heat radiating off in the tent. For a moment, Lucy was ready to waver and fall. But then, she remembered that heartbreak. That _fear._ She remembered how he easily broke it in two. She remembered the heartbreak of finding out that her life was a lie, and that everything she could have possibly known was gone. She had to protect what little sanity she had left.

She gently put her hand on his chest, pushing him back so that she could have space. Natsu was shocked to say the least, hurt by her actions. He didn't understand why she was resisting, and he looked at her, searching for something to help him understand. A single tear slipped down her cheek and instantly, he moved his hand to wipe it away.

"Natsu, everything I have ever known has been a lie. I thought that I was just a normal girl, but now, I'm thrust into this magical bullshit and suddenly, I have powers? Suddenly, I'm supposed to love you when it feels liked I barely even knew you, let alone anyone. I don't know what to believe and I don't even know who I am anymore. I'm trying to understand and I'm trying to get a grasp of everything but nothing feels real!" she wailed.

Now he understood what was wrong.

Pulling her in and cuddling her, Natsu rubbed the young girl's locks of hair as she sobbed into his shirt. She didn't know who was. In fact, no one knew who they were. They were all coming to terms with this new power, still trying to figure out that this was all real, and that the lives they lived before this wasn't real. He held the young girl even tighter to him. At this point, he was ready to be there for her at all costs.

"Whether it's this life or the last, you're still the same old Lucy Heartfilia. You still have the same personality and you still have the same dream of becoming an author. No matter who you are, you are still my Lucy." he said.

Lucy looked up at him, his goofy grin compelling her to smile through the sadness. It was something that Natsu had always managed to do, even when they were little.

"Lucy, I won't pressure you to be with me, but I will prove to you that we are meant to be. For now, we'll be friends, but until you tell me yes, I'll wait for you."

He pulled her closer to him, taking in her scent. She always smelled like Strawberries and Vanilla. She breathed softly in his chest, soon enough, being lulled to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat. He tried to pull away from Lucy, but she had a death grip on his vest. Deciding that he should stay, he curled up to his best friend fell asleep, taking in her scent as much as he could.

He vowed that he would protect her, even if he had to die again.


	8. Chapter 8

After a couple days of travel, Team Natsu finally took their first steps into the town of Hargeon. Although untouched by death, the town was well aware about what happened in Magnolia the week before. It was a terrifying tale that left so many people scared for their lives. However, they knew that Fairy Tail vowed to protect the land, so they could only hope for the best. As they made their way into the port town, Lucy noticed the diner that Natsu and her ate at in her past life. They day they first met and their fate was sealed. She shook away the thoughts and caught up with her team, who were too busy talking about where to look first.

"Now they couldn't be too far. The reports last stated that Romeo and Wendy were here, in the orphanage. I think that should be the first area that we check." Erza said, confident in her deductions. Natsu and Gray both looked at the fiery redhead before simultaneously sighing.

"Can't we just check into an Inn first? All that traveling took a beating on me and I just want to rest." Gray said lazily.

"For once, I agree with the ice cube. I'm beat Erza." Natsu groaned.

For a moment, it looked as if the death stare that Erza had sent the two actually killed them. However, she relaxed her features and smiled at the two boys, who were trembling from fear.

"I think that maybe your right. Even I can't help but feel like I need a moment to sleep. What about you, Lucy?" she said, turning her attention to the quiet blonde. Lucy was too lost in her memory to notice that Erza was even speaking to her, until she felt a pinch on her nose. Realizing what happened, Lucy blushed in embarrassment.

"You guys go on ahead. I'm gonna take a moment to walk around, just to get acquainted with the area. Everyone looked at her oddly before shrugging their shoulders.

"If you say so. We'll be at the Hargeon Inn, so we'll see you later." Erza said, before starting up the path again. Natsu lingered a little to look at Lucy one last time, before he caught up with Erza. He figured that for now, he should give her some space. Lucy smiled at the dragon slayer's form, thankful that he was willing to let her process it all.

She walked up to a nearby park and sat down on a bench, remembering that this was where she read a Sorcerers Weekly magazine about Fairy Tail, fantasizing about joining the guild one day. She couldn't help but comprehend how it had come to this, and just wanted answers as to why these things were happening. A single tear slipped out and she quickly brushed it away. She was tired of crying and feeling sorry for herself. This was her reality and whether she liked it or not, she had to learn how to deal with it.

Before she could get a chance to compose herself, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see her beloved friend Loke, who was smiling down at her with some form of remorse. She lunged into the spirits arms and sobbed like there was no tomorrow. Even though she knew that she had to get over it eventually, she still allowed for this one moment to pass. After a few minutes, her sobs slowly turned into quiet whimpers.

"Lucy, please don't cry. I know you want answers and I promise that I will try to help you as best as I can." he said quietly. Lucy pulled away and looked up at him.

"But I thought you said that the Celestial Spirit King sworn all of you to secrecy?" she asked. He smiled at her.

"Although I cannot tell you how you all got resurrected, I can tell you why you were resurrected." he said confidently. Instantly, Lucy's mood perked up a bit. He was happy to have her attention.

"After the events that transpired with Achnologia, and the world being burnt away by Natsu's flames, Earthland became a barren wasteland." he started. Lucy looked away for a moment, thinking about Natsu and what he had done. _'Was he so anguished by my death and others that he ended up burning the entire planet?'_ she wondered. Instead, she tried to focus on what Loke was saying.

"Nothing could grow, there wasn't anything living, and soon enough, it became a hollow shell. It was as if Natsu's will was to make everything suffer, since you died back then. And while we spirits were heartbroken, seeing what had become of the world, we all mourned for hundreds of years, begging and pleading with God to bring you all back. But even God was unrelenting and wouldn't allow us to rebuild Earthland. That is, until the Celestial Spirit King came into play." he said.

Lucy's stare bore into Loke's back. Even after all that pain and sorrow, God still would have denied this second chance to not only the people of Earthland, but her spirits. She could feel the inner workings of her mind jumble up and get stuck. So far, nothing was making sense to her, and that's when she looked up at Loke, who had a melancholy smile that donned his face.

"When he spoke to God, he begged him to allow Earthland to rebuild itself. It took a while, but finally, the Celestial Spirit King made a deal with God. At first, God wasn't willing, until all of the spirits came up and begged with him. God, seeing how devoted we were to you all, decided that he would restore the earth and reincarnate the people. However, he decided to put Achnologia back into Earthland, saying that if the humans didn't defeat him, there wouldn't be another chance at life." he finished quietly.

Lucy looked down at her knees, taking in the last few words that her Leo spirit had told her. For once, she thought that God was out to get her.

"What exactly was the deal?" she asked. He smiled sadly at her.

"Alas, I cannot tell you that Lucy. But I promise, one day you will find out." he said. Lucy looked into his eyes and searched for any possible hint that he could give her. The longer she looked, the longer she realized that she wouldn't be able to find anything. Instead, she leaned back into the bench, taking in the sun as it beat down on her. For a moment, Lucy felt a wave of calmness wash over her. Finally she had some answers that put all of her concerns at ease.

"Listen, Lucy. I'm telling you all of this because I don't want you to mourn anymore. We all hate to see you this way. You've brought us so much joy that we can't bear to see you in pain." Loke said. Taking his hands in hers, Loke stared at Lucy with a mix of pride and compassion.

"So please Lucy, keep living for us. Keep smiling and keep going on adventures. We all want to see you happy."

At this point, Lucy had tears coming out of her eyes again. But these were tears of joy and she couldn't help but grin at her spirit. Making a noise of approval, she tightly hugged Loke, pouring all of her thanks into him. For a moment, Loke couldn't help but be grateful that he made the right decision in picking Lucy as his master.

"Thank you, Loke."

* * *

After she took some time just to hang with Loke, Lucy headed back towards the Inn, feeling better than ever. Everything was finally making sense and she could get over this pain that she was feeling. Although she had some unanswered questions, she was still determined to stop Achnologia, she now felt like she had some form of a purpose. After all, before she got her memories back, she had been wishing for freedom. She didn't have a reputation to live up to and she could finally be the girl that she wanted to be.

As the bright sun turned into a beautiful sunset, Lucy happily skipped to Hargeon Inn, her hair blowing in the late September wind. As she turned the corner, she bumped into a young girl with long blue pigtails and a big straw hat. She looked dirty, with notable spots of dirt on her feet and hands. When Lucy steadied herself, she saw that the little girl had fallen over.

"Oh my goodness, are you okay?" Lucy asked.

Lucy helped the young girl up, who oddly stayed silent for the most part. There was something familiar about her, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe it was the fact that part of her mermaid dress showed when she fell. Or the fact that part of her face looked somewhat familiar.

"It's okay miss. But can you help me out? I've looking for my friend, but he's disappeared from me and I can't find him anywhere..." the young girl whined.

She instantly grabbed Lucy's hand and started walking away from the Inn, much to Lucy's disappointment. However, she decided that she would be hopeful and help the little girl, being that this was her new beginning. She was determined to help this little girl. The little girl kept walking with her until she stopped in an alley, pulling away from Lucy.

"Sorry miss." she said quietly before a strong gust of wind turned Lucy upside down. She had to hold up her skirt just to keep it from toppling over and exposing her undergarments. Sure enough, everything that she had in her pockets came tumbling out, including her keys that she had just acquired.

"Hey whats the big idea?!" Lucy asked. The young girl smiled before ripping away her sack to reveal who she was. Lucy couldn't help but gasp in shock. "Wendy?"

The young girl jumped, startled by the young woman recognizing who she was. Still, she had a mission to accomplish. Just before she could speak, a young boy with purple hair jumped from the building above and smirked at the Celestial Mage. She couldn't help but gasp in shock. She had just found her two targets, and here they were, robbing her. "Romeo, you're here too!" Lucy said. The two just looked at her, puzzled by the fact that she knew her.

"Look, we don't know who you are, but we do know that you seem to have some pretty valuable stuff. So if you don't mind, we'll just take some of this nice stuff you have and be on our merry way." he said nonchalantly. As they took everything that she could have, Lucy was deep in thought. _'Could their past memories not have come back to them yet?'_ she thought to herself.

"Wow Romeo, we really made a big bust this time! Looks like we'll be able to afford dinner for a whole week now!" Wendy smiled happily. Romeo smiled warmly at the young girl, as she kept rummaging. A faint blush stained his cheeks, glad that he made her happy. However, it didn't go unnoticed by Lucy. She smirked evilly.

"You know, you both should let me go. I'm a psychic and I can read minds. For example, Romeo. It seems that you've come to have taken a deep liking towards-"

The moment that she spoke, the blushing boy had a single flame held up to her face. He was giving her a look of embarrassment and anger. Just how had she figured it out, was something that he couldn't understand.

"If you let me go and give me back all my stuff, I promise I won't tell your secret." Lucy whispered. Romeo looked at her with disdain, once again baffling the young girl.

"Do you really think that you can bargain with me? After all, you're my hostage, and I think that it's time you deserved some form of punishment." he smirked.

For a moment, Lucy didn't think that he was going to hurt her, till he formed a massive purple fire ball and threw it straight at Lucy. She closed her eyes, fearful of the pain, when she felt nothing. She opened her eyes and screamed from shock. Somehow, all her clothes had burned off and she was completely buck naked. She instantly covered whatever she could and felt her face instantly go red.

"Serves you right for thinking that you could bargain with us! C'mon Wendy, let's get out of here before Carla gets mad at us for sneaking out again." Romeo said. Taking Wendy's hand, which instantly made her blush, they ran out of the alley, leaving an upside down, naked Lucy. Eventually, the wind dispersed and she was dropped straight onto the concrete. She rubbed her backside in pain. Grabbing the nearest thing that she saw, which was ironically the sack that Wendy wore, she wrapped it around her body and headed straight for the Inn. To think that a couple of kids had robbed her clean. Natsu was gonna have a kick out of hearing this.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the super long hiatus. I got so caught up with school and family that I fizzled out with this story. But now I feel that I've gotten over those hurdles and can come back to this story. Hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! -Music

* * *

"So you mean to tell me-pffft- that you got bamboozled by a couple of pre-teens?! Ha! And that they took your clothes because you pissed them off?! Ahahahaaaa- ow!" yelled Natsu as Lucy delivered a punch to his stomach. He doubled over in pain while Lucy was proud of her ability to shut him up.

"Well at least we now know that they're here and that they may be considered orphans. I wonder where they might be though." Lucy said, proud of her findings.

"I think that if Happy takes a quick glance over the village then maybe we might be able to find them. Or at least pinpoint their location." Erza said, walking in with and irritated Gray.

"Man, this is gonna be a hassle. Now that they're aware of their powers, they might be harder to catch." said Gray.

"Well that may be the case for you, but I'll snuff them both out with my flames!" Natsu said wildly. Erza and Gray tensed up and stared at the fire dragon mage with disdain.

"Oh, so you can blow up the town and make sure we're banned from Hargeon for life?! Like hell, ya Tabasco loving freak!" Gray yelled.

"What did you say?! You're literally hypothermia personified!" Natsu grumbled.

"Like you even know what personified means!" Gray screeched.

"That's it!" Natsu yelled before charging at Gray, ready to deliver the first blow.

"Quiet! I'm trying to think!" Erza yelled, smashing both of their heads into each other, knocking them out, sending them death glares, ready to kill them both. In this moment, Lucy couldn't help but laugh at their antics and just smiled. Even if the world was going to end in a year, they still found a way to make the most of it. But a question still plagued her mind.

"Even if we do find them, how are we supposed to convince them to come back to Magnolia with us, let alone Fairy Tail?" she asked. Erza gave an exasperated sigh.

"That's why I was trying to figure out. I'm willing to take any ideas." Erza said.

Team Natsu stood there silently, racking their brains to come up with an idea that would help them bring both Romeo and Wendy back to Fairy Tail. Just when it seem hopeless, Lucy gasped in excitement. She couldn't help but smile at her stroke of genius, which earned weird looks from her teammates.

"Say, Natsu? How do you feel about acting?" Lucy asked evilly. Natsu looked at her with fear in his eyes.

* * *

Romeo was always a simple boy. He didn't want much in life, and he always tried to give to those who needed it more than him, despite him being orphaned. But the day that he met Wendy, all of that changed. It was like she had blown up everything that he had ever known to be true in his life. First off, there was a girl who had powers like him, so he didn't feel like a freak. Most of the other kids didn't really know why he was able to create fire from his hands, but they didn't want to know either.

But when he first made eye contact with her, it was as if they were connected. His heart beat a little faster, his face felt flush and for some odd reason, he couldn't breath right. She literally took his breath away and he just couldn't stop her. He had to get to know this girl if it was the last thing he did.

After the first couple of days he was nervous to approach her, worried that the other kids might have told her about him and his powers. However, she was the first one to approach him, and eat lunch with him one day. Ever since that day, Romeo and Wendy became inseparable. He was simple no more and loved it.

So after returning from a hard day of pick pocketing, he entered the make shift shed on the outskirts of the town that he shared with Wendy. Currently, she was tidying up as best as she could, while Carla dictated from afar. Although Carla did not approve of their activities, she knew that they were just doing what they could to survive. But that didn't mean that she couldn't scold them all she wanted to.

"I'm home!" Romeo shouted, taking off his shoes before entering the shack. Wendy smiled excitedly and ran up to the boy and hugged him tightly. She settled in his arms before looking up at him and smiling warmly.

"Welcome home!" she said happily. Romeo felt his face flush and he knew that she was gonna be the death of him.

"Finally. Let me guess, more pick pocketing? Your sins will not go unnoticed if you get caught." scolded Carla as Wendy let go of him. Romeo glared at the small white cat before reluctantly pulling out the money that he earned today, handing it all to her.

"Even though I don't like it, you did really well this time. We can get more clothes with this kind of money. Maybe even extra food." Carla muttered. Wendy went back to doing the dishes and hummed a happy tune. Romeo walked up to the white cat and got down to her level so he could talk to her.

"Hey Carla, do you mind if I borrow some of that money to take Wendy out? I want to do something nice for her and came across a pink haired magician who was putting on a show tonight. I think that Wendy would really like it." he said, blushing. Carla felt bad for the boy. She knew that he had a tiny crush on Wendy, and that's why he was pushing himself to steal of a living. They already had hard enough lives, so they deserved a day to at least have some fun. At least, not without some surveillance.

"Fine, how much do you want?" she said. He just smirked at the young cat.

* * *

While Carla watched from afar, Wendy and Romeo arrived at a small hut at the edge of town, close to where they lived. In an excited frenzy, Wendy put her hair up in pigtails and wore her favorite dress and shoes. She even managed to buy some lipstick with the money that Romeo earned. To him, he thought that she was the prettiest girl in town, and tonight, he was finally ready to let her know how he felt about her.

When they entered the hut, Romeo was met by the same pink haired man from earlier, this wearing robes instead of the baggy clothes he donned early. In a foreign accent, the pink haired man invited them in. He could feel Wendy's excitement. When they entered, all they found was a dining table and a small stage with the curtains drawn. Next to the stage was a back door, probably indicating the kitchen.

"Please sit down young sir! We shall bring out menu's soon! Please, please, relax!" the older man said enthusiastically. The two preteens sat down and looked around the mysterious hut. There were decorations of different types of symbols that looked like a bird on an arrow. There were candles all over, and soft music was playing in the background.

"Romeo! This is so romantic!" squealed Wendy. Romeo couldn't help but blush, happy that he made his crush feel special. His confidence grew a little be more and instead of divulging his secret feelings to her, he decided to wait for the right moment.

Meanwhile, Carla got curious about the house they were heading into. She had never seen it before and was suspicious about why it had suddenly popped up in town. The fact that no one else but Romeo and Wendy went in made her even more suspicious about the intentions of performers in there. Just when she was about to open the back door, she was hit on the head by a mysterious force, promptly blacking her out. The last thing she heard was laughter coming from inside the hut, where Romeo and Wendy were joking about all their adventures. The waiter came out in time to introduce himself as Natsu, and claimed that the show would start as soon as they placed their orders.

"Now, please, enjoy the show." he said, finishing up the orders he wrote down. Romeo noted that, but chose not to say anything as Wendy was too excited about what was to come. He had to focus on her tonight.

Suddenly, the lights shut off and beautiful redhead came out wearing a bunny suit. She took her place off to the side where she began to sing a somber melody. A screen dropped down and a title screen was shown with the name Fairy Tail. From seeing that title, Romeo's head started to hurt, as if his body physically reacted to seeing that title. He played it off as him being tired and tried his best to focus on the movie in front of him. However, the more he focused, the worst the headache was. He saw images of people he had never seen before and what seemed like reenactments of moments that he had lived through. That pain that started off in his brain slowly went to his whole face.

In his pain, he happened to look over at Wendy, who looked as if she had experience something horrible. She clutched her whole body, and her face was permanently contorted into a look of horror, almost as if a silent scream was escaping her. Romeo tried to reach over to her but his pain was unbearable. He looked up at the screen one last time, and saw a group of people with that same damn bird insignia on various parts of their bodies.

The last thing that he heard before passing out was someone asking if the plan worked.

* * *

When Romeo came to, he was cuddling up to something that was extremely warm. It was a familiar warmth that he felt comforted by, but also wanted to protect. Suddenly said warmth started fidgeting around in his arms. He creaked open one of his eyes to figure out where he was. He was in the shack that he shared with Wendy and Carla. He couldn't remember how he made it back home after his date with Wendy, but all he knew was that he wanted to get some more sleep. He closed his eyes more and thought about Wendy, his Wendy.

Wendy...

Wendy.

Wendy!

Suddenly, Romeo sat up fully taking in his surroundings. He was indeed inside the hut that they stayed in for the past 4 years. Except now, he was surrounded by familiar faces that the had forgotten before. Everyone stopped what they were doing and smiled at him, happy that he woke up. He looked over to his left and noticed that the whole time he was asleep he was cuddling Wendy, who was starting to stir. His face got hot and before he could freak out, he was tackled by Happy and Natsu.

"Romeo! You're awake!" they yelled simultaneously. Romeo laughed at their antics and smiled at his friends that were there. He walked over to Lucy and bowed in shame, promptly apologizing for his actions. She simply smiled at him and hugged the kid, glad that he was back. Wendy woke up to this image and felt a hint of jealousy, but was happy to remember all her friends. Carla was the last to wake up and was pissed that she got knocked out, but was grateful that everyone was safe.

"Alright now that you three are awake, we have to inform you on whats going on." said Erza.

The explanation was brief, but the thing that shook them to their core was when found out how they died. Romeo's head had been obliterated from a blast from Acnologia. Carla was ripped apart completely by Acnologia's claws. But Wendy? She had the worst luck as she was eaten by Acnologia. They all shuddered from fear, but it seem that Wendy had the worst reaction. She could already feel phantom pains from exactly where his teeth crunched into her body. As she trembled, Romeo walked over to her and pulled her into him. That simple gesture was enough to calm Wendy's fears, but the anger in Romeo's eyes could not go unnoticed. It was clear that he was determined to end this pain once and for all.

"What can we do to stop him?"

* * *

That night, as team Natsu traveled back to Magnolia, they decided to set camp in a forest close the southern outskirts of Hargeon. Waiting until everyone was asleep, Wendy quietly sneaked off to a nearby lake that they had passed. Despite her efforts, she wasn't as quiet as she wanted to be. After a few moments to dip her feet in and think about how much her life has changed, she heard a twig snap behind her. However, to her relief, it was Romeo, who was worried about her being out this late by herself.

"Oh Romeo, it's just you." she said quietly. The young boy walked over to her and sat on the ground next to her.

"What are you doing out here so late?" he asked, trying to avoid looking at her. He had followed her because he was concerned she was going to get attack, but what he didn't expect was to be enchanted by her beauty. The moonlight seemed to escalate it.

"I was just thinking about everything that's happened. I can't believe that our lives have been a lie."

"What do you mean they've been a lie?" he asked.

"Like the fact that we were orphans. Or that we were homeless when we had a home. Hell even us being friends. We barely talked in Fairy Tail and now we're thick as thieves. I feel like everything I've ever known has been a lie and I don't know how to feel." she said, a tear slipping down her face.

"Then, would my feelings for you be a lie too?" he asked, finally looking at her. Wendy looked at him, her breath hitching at the words that came out his mouth.

"What-"

"I think I'm falling in love with you." Romeo said seriously. Wendy felt her whole face flush at his declaration. She felt dizzy and lightheaded from the confession, but the butterflies in her stomach intensified even more.

"But we didn't talk before. How can you love me now when you didn't before?" she retorted. Romeo slowly leaned towards her.

"That doesn't mean that I couldn't have learned to love you now." he said.

"B-but we're too young for love?!" Wendy said. Romeo was starting to get dangerously close now, and she could feel his breath on her face. Her senses were starting starting to dull on her and she could feel her eyelids get heavier, anticipating what was coming. She tried one last time.

"B-but Romeo-" she said but it was no use. He quietly shut her up by planting a soft kiss on her lips. She instantly let go of her reservations, gave into her feelings, and kissed him back with all she had. For both of the preteens, they were on cloud 9.

Unbeknownst to them, Lucy watched from afar, happy that they were able to find love.

And unbeknownst to Lucy, Natsu had watched the whole scene unfold and looked instantly at Lucy. One day, he hoped that Lucy would reciprocate his feelings like Wendy did Romeo. For the adults, sleep was bittersweet.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys! Here's the new chapter! Yes its almost two weeks later, but I'm getting better at updating! Feel free to review, follow, and favorite! I love hearing your opinions and critiques so I can become a better writer! But for now, enjoy!

* * *

The trip back to Magnolia was probably the most eventful to say.

With the newly formed couple of Wendy and Romeo, they were constantly teased by their comrades. But they didn't mind. It felt as if Fairy Tail was slowly coming back and this was just the start of it. They endured the teasing, happy that everyone's spirits were high. It officially had been a month since Acnologia attacked and two weeks since they got Wendy and Romeo. Things were starting off to a great start and everyone was feeling great. All except for a certain white cat.

"And just who knocked me out? I bet it was you Gray, wasn't it." said Charle, pointing at the Ice Make mage. She shuddered in fear and started babbling about how hot it was and how he thought he saw some rain clouds. Wendy couldn't help but giggle at her teammates. Romeo smiled at his girlfriend, happy that things worked out. But while everyone was laughing and getting along, Lucy was troubled by her thoughts.

Natsu noticed this and rested his hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from them.

"What's on your mind, Lucy?" he asked.

"Just what we're going to do when we get back to the guild. I know that we need to start training, but..." There was a pregnant pause as Lucy thought about how she should approach this subject with her teammates. Natsu watched her intently, holding his breath.

"What about Zeref and Mavis?"

Everyone immediately stopped in their tracks. The only sound was coming from Natsu's labored breaths as he thought about the destruction and pain that Zeref caused. Lucy looked at him before starting once more.

"We all know that Zeref was reincarnated, because he was at school with us before Achnologia attacked. What if he's changed and we can get him on our side for the fight with Acnologia? What about Mavis and where is she? I think that we need to bring up these questions with Master..." Lucy said quietly.

"She brings up a good point. If that's the case, then we need to hurry back to the guild." Erza said sternly. Everyone nodded their head and picked up the pace, hoping to find a solution. While everyone ran up ahead, Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist and held her back. Erza noticed this but decided to let the two mages have their moment.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" Lucy asked. Natsu just simply held Lucy's hand in his own, staring at her Fairy Tail emblem.

"Lucy, do you remember when we were kids and those guys tried to hurt you?" he asked. Lucy nodded her head and thought back to that memory of how Natsu protected her and did so until the police showed up.

"Yeah, I remember. You got your ass kicked all for me." she said, smiling at the thought. He couldn't help but smirk, but then got serious once more.

"I protected you then, didn't I?" he said seriously. Lucy's breath hitched in her throat at the statement, and she felt her heart speed up once more. This same feeling she had been ignoring was coming back full force. Bit by bit.

"I'm letting you know now that no matter what, I will protect you with all my heart and soul, Lucy." he said. He stepped closer to her, and she could feel her heart flutter once more.

"N-natsu." she whispered. She could feel his breath on her cheeks, and he couldn't take his eyes off of her lips, yearning to kiss them. He ignored his feelings and kept going.

"Lucy, I won't fail again. I can't bear to see you full of pain and despair. Not again. So I'm telling you right here, right now. I will protect you with all my heart, my soul, and every fiber of my being. This is my promise to you."

He touched his forehead with her and closed his eyes. His lips were so close that all Lucy had to do was lean up to kiss him. She contemplated doing so. "I love you, Lucy."

"Natsu" she whispered. For a moment, the two struggled with going further, their heart beats becoming synchronized. But despite his desires, it was Natsu who pulled away first. He smiled at Lucy and led her back to the guild, running with all his might. Lucy laughed along with him, her heart filling up with joy and happiness. To know that Natsu would make a statement like that made Lucy feel loved and she silently vowed to do the same for him.

* * *

By the time Natsu and Lucy made it back to Fairy Tail, they saw a sight they couldn't believe. Zeref was smiling and laughing with the Fairy Tail members, even joking around with Master Makarov. The sight shook Lucy and made Natsu sick to his stomach. What started out as a slow menacing walk turned into a full blown blood thirsty run. Before he knew it, Natsu found himself giving a good fiery punch to Zeref's jaw.

"Natsu! Calm yourself!" said Makarov, but the Fire Dragon Slayer couldn't hear his words. All he felt was hate.

"You started all of this. He caused the guild to suffer. HE CAUSED LUCY TO SUFFER!" he yelled. His skin turned into scales and his whole body was slowly getting hotter. He felt himself feel the need to burn everything that Zeref touched. The older of the Dragneel siblings was shocked by the sudden assault, but solemnly looked down at the ground. As Natsu got ready to advance, he felt pressure on his back and immediately halted his flames. He could already smell her scent before she even touched him.

"Natsu, let's hear him out, okay." Lucy whispered. He lowered his guard a little but was still tense about the situation. Lucy let go of Natsu and stared at Master Makarov, nodding at him so that he could continue.

"Zeref has come to Fairy Tail, reincarnated. He retains all of his memories and knows what he has done. However, instead of fighting with Acnologia, he wishes to stay by Master Mavis's side and protect her. He can die like the rest of us, so is not as invincible as he once was. He's now an honorary member of Fairy Tail." Makarov said.

Lucy turned and looked at the young man, guilt ridden on his face. She almost felt bad for him, but soon remembered all the pain he caused for Fairy Tail. It wouldn't be easy, but she knew that they had to start healing somewhere. Walking up to him, she held out her hand. He took it graciously, but was also shocked by the gesture. She shook his hand and smiled at him.

"Hi, My name is Lucy Heatfilia. What's yours?" she said happily. He smiled back at her.

"Zeref. Zeref Dragneel." he said, shaking his had back at her. Natsu came by and slung his arm around her shoulders, clearly making a statement. Lucy gently pushed him off of her and frowned at the Fire Dragon Slayer. He was really starting to get on her nerves. But before Zeref could respond to the action, Makarov interrupted.

"Before we go on, we have more pressing matters to attend to. We need to find Master Mavis." Makarov said sternly. The tiny old man jumped on to the newly installed bar, prompting everyone to turn and look at him.

"Now that we have most of our family back, we need to form a plan to figure out how we're going to get the first Master back. While our strongest team was gone, many of you have had time to train and harness your skills. Start looking for clues and figure out her whereabouts. Zeref, we're going to need your intellect, being that you're her soulmate. Now get to work you brats!" Makarov yelled.

It was clear that everyone was determined to get started and find the master. However, everyone was also excited that they had regained their old guild members. Things were starting to feel like home again. While team Natsu settled down, the third master came by to their table.

"Rest now my children. For tomorrow, your training starts." he simply stated. They all nodded their heads in contempt.

"Ahhh I'm so glad to be home!" squealed Lucy.

"I know, right. I might go hit up the hot springs if you want to join me?" Erza said happily. Lucy gave a grunt of approval, feeling ready to sleep in a real bed and take a real bath. As she and Erza talked, she couldn't help but notice that Juvia was staring intently at Gray. She had this look of sadness in her eyes, but also apprehension, almost as if something bad would happen if she approached him. Deciding that she would see if the Water mage was alright, Lucy walked up to her, almost scaring her.

"Oh, Juvia didn't see you there Lucy." she said.

"It's okay Juvia. Erza and I were going to head to the hot springs. Did you want to join us?" Lucy asked. Juvia hesitated and glanced over at Gray once more before nodding her head solemnly.

Lucy happily picked up her arm and grabbed Erza as they headed towards the hot springs. Just before they walked out the doors, Juvia made eye contact with Gray, who smiled at her. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and rushed out of Fairy Tail, confusing the Ice Make Mage. Juvia had never reacted that way towards him. Something was up and he was definitely going to find out.

* * *

"Ahn! This water feels amazing!" sighed Lucy. She could feel herself melting into the water along with her other two guild mates.

"Lucy! Is it just Juvia or do you look older?" she asked.

"So do you! Did we get older or something?" Lucy asked.

"Mhm. Master said that since Achnologia made our memories come back, our bodies aged to how old we were when we gained them back. So we're about 18-19 years old." said Erza.

"Ah that's nice. No wonder my clothes felt a little tighter on me. Looks like we're out of high school girls!" Lucy joked. All the girls laughed and settled even more into the hot springs. For a while, it was a nice silence. The steam from their However, it seems that Juvia was still tense, and Lucy couldn't help but notice.

"Juvia, what's wrong? You've been tense since before we left the guild. Is everything okay?" asked Erza. Juvia looked down sadly, unsure of what to say. Lucy and Erza weren't particularly close to the Water Mage, but they wanted to be. Juvia didn't have many close friends in the guild, so they wanted to be the first.

"It's okay Juvia. We're always going to be here for you, no matter what." said Lucy, who had somehow moved closer and rested her hand on Juvia's shoulder. Erza did the same and Juvia could feel the tears well up in her eyes.

"Before everyone died to Achnologia, Juvia had a secret that she never told to Gray." she said, voice wavering. "Juvia didn't think that it would happen again, since Gray never spoke to her before she got her memories again. But when we regained our magic..."

"Juvia, what did you not tell Gray?" Erza asked.

For moment, there was silence, and it seemed as if she would never speak again. But her next few words shocked not only guild mates, but the two pairs of ears that were listening in on their conversation.

"Juvia is pregnant...and Gray is the father."

"Does he know?" asked Lucy. Juvia solemnly shook her head, the tears spilling faster and faster. Even though she wasn't super close with Erza and Lucy, she felt that now they were closer than ever.

* * *

As the girls got out and dressed themselves, Juvia felt her mood lighten up a little bit more. Erza and Lucy happily talked about the soon to be newest edition to the guild. They even joked about baby names and if the baby was going to have Gray's eyes or Juvia's personality. Juvia was happy that her friends took the news well, but she new that eventually, she would have to break the news to the person who needed to hear it the most. But for now, she tried to enjoy her time with her friends.

However, that moment was short lived as they were surprised to see Gray, Natsu, and Happy standing outside the entrance to the women's bathroom. Juvia froze in her tracks as Gray stared at her sternly. She could feel it. He knew.

"Gray..." she whispered.

He just stared at her while trying to figure out why she would hide something like that from him, but the words just wouldn't come out. The rest of their friends noticed how tense the situation was and walked away to try and let them have some alone time. Even Natsu didn't resist when Lucy pulled him away, to which the celestial mage was grateful.

"Juvia...why?"

She tensed and looked down at her feet, visibly shaking. Gray's icy heart cracked from the sight.

"Because things changed."

He took a step towards her and she hesitantly took one step back. Gray's blood started to boil, something that rarely happened. Deciding that enough was enough, he closed in and trapped her between the wall and him. She couldn't run out of this situation. It was time to face her fears.

"Why?" he reiterated.

"Because Juvia was ashamed by the person that she used to be, before her memories came back. Juvia was obsessed. She went to great lengths to pursue Gray and it was not wanted. Gray hated Juvia and when her memories came back, Juvia didn't have the heart to tell him." she whispered.

He backed off for a moment to give her some breathing room, giving him time to think about their relationship when they living lies. He remembered how obsessed she was with him, stalking him and even going as far as to scare off other girls that he showed even slight interest in. He remembered calling her a freak, and yelling at her how he never wanted to see her face again. That was the last time he had spoken to her and he now regretted it. Because despite who she was, Juvia had changed once she got her memories back. This was the Juvia that was familiar to him now.

"Juvia, I'm sorry. I understand your feelings about not wanting to tell me, but you would have had to eventually. This is my child too and I'm gonna be there to raise it, something that my father was unable to do. I'm helping you raise this baby whether you like it or not." he said sternly. She smiled softly and nodded her head in approval.

"Will Gray and Juvia at least be friends for now?" Hopefully Gray wouldn't see her as someone he hates, but someone that he genuinely cared about. He carefully held her in his arms taking in her natural scent of water lilies. He could see himself easily getting lost in it.

"Always."


	11. Chapter 11

Hey guys. Sorry I didn't post on Tuesday. I have been going through some personal family issues and it disabled me from going through with this current chapter for a moment. But after taking a moment to wind down, I feel ready to publish the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy and I'm sorry for this late chapter.

* * *

"Lucy! I need to talk to you for a second." Levy said. She had on her magical reading glasses and holding a book on the history of Fairy Tail.

"Oh what is it Levy?"

"Can you read this book really quickly? I just want to make sure we're on the same page." she said. Lucy nodded her head and hastily grabbed the glasses.

It's been three month's since Acnologia's attack on Magnolia, making it nine months until the battle of the end of the world. Since then, we've been working non-stop to find master Mavis and her whereabouts. While Lucy and Levy read books on Mavis's history, Makarov sent out teams to scout nearby towns. It had been a rough couple of weeks for the mages, but that wouldn't stop them from defeating Acnologia.

"Lucy, did you see what I see?"

"Yeah. I think we need to inform Master about this. She could have been there all along..." Lucy said cautiously.

The two girls quickly gathered their belongings in the library and headed towards Makarov. As they walked, they ran into Gajeel and Natsu, who were lounging in the dining area, exhausted from a scouting mission. However, the minute they saw their girls, their sour moods perked up instantly.

"Lucy!" Natsu said excitedly.

"Hey Natsu! How did your mission go?" she said.

Natsu greeted her by taking the books away from and giving her a warm embrace, basking in the scent of her strawberry shampoo. Lucy snuggled into his warm embrace. While the two were lost in the moment, Levy and Gajeel couldn't help but smile at their complicated situation. Both were hoping the two would just get together already.

"Alright love birds. Let's get back to work. What do ya got there, bunny girl?" asked Gajeel. He walked up to her and grabbed one of the books in her stack.

"It's the history about Master Mavis. We might have a lead." Levy said.

"Ah? Please, speak further children."

The teens turned and looked at their master who seemed to magically appear before them. He had clearly grown older, his hair fragile and gray; his skin wrinkly, with frown lines forming on his brow; his eyes, dull and tried, clearly ready for eternal sleep. The older man was ready for this war to end so that he may retire in peace. While Makarov was willing to fight, he also wouldn't mind a week or two with just pure relaxation.

"Well, we learned from this book that Mavis had once lived on Tenrou Island... now her final resting place." Lucy said.

"We think that if she were to be reincarnated anywhere, it has to be there." said Levy.

Makarov rubbed his chin, thinking about the possibility of her being there. He was worried about the first master and her whereabouts, yet he felt that he knew where she was. It perplexed him and he felt as if he was slowly losing his mind. "Then we'll send some scouts. I want you four to go. We'll leave Mira, Laxus, and Erza-"

"Master! Master!" Romeo came running in, fear etched on his face. He was running so fast that he skidded and crashed into Natsu. Lucy ran over to Romeo and noticed how ragged his breathing was and the sweat that poured down his face.

"Romeo, what happened?" asked Lucy.

"Acnologia. H-he attacked us at Sabertooth. Half of their guild is dead!" Romeo yelled.

Almost everyone tensed at his statement, the girls backing away from him before rushing out the door. Gajeel and Natsu followed suit, leaving behind a grim faced Makarov and a crying Romeo.

"Was any of our family hurt?"

He shook his head, and for a moment, Makarov could release the breath that he had been holding in.

"Tell me everything."

* * *

The main guild could only have been described as pure chaos. Multiple Sabertooth members were littered across the ground, being tended to by the healers of Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail. Wendy and Porlyusica were perspiring profusely, but ignored their own problems in hopes of trying to solve another's. Blood covered various parts of the floor as the casualties were piling up in the corner. It was nothing less than pure chaos.

"Ms. Porlyusica, these two need bandaging. I'm going to focus on these next two." yelled Wendy as she rushed over to a couple of guys who were unconscious and bleeding from their stomachs. Wendy pushed passed the sight and focused on healing them until they were stable. She was determined to save their lives; they were family in her eyes.

Lucy noted the pile of bodies in the corner and fought back the urge to release the contents of her stomach on to the guild floor. By the bar, she noticed a week Yukino being healed by Chelia, who was on the brink of passing out. Yukino clearly looked better than most, but the hole in her stomach was only slowly closing, the blood barely going back in and circulating. Sting pined over her and focused in on any other part of her that was hurt. He was clearly worse off, with the blood that caked on his face and in his hair, but he worried more about how she was doing. Lucy ran over to the small group and dropped down next to her celestial sister.

"How is she doing?" she asked. She reached her hand toward her but Sting growled at her, causing her to snap her hand back. He clutched Yukino closer to his chest while Porlyusica focused on healing her.

"He can't hear you. All he can do is focus on her and protect her," said Porlyusica. "He's gone into protection mode over his mate."

"What happend to her?"

"Achnologia did," said Sting. Tears escaped from his anger filled eyes as he watched Porlyusica finish up with Yukino. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she wrapped her up and walked off to her next patient that needed her. Sting grunted in appreciation but held the unconscious girl close to his heart. It was as if he was going to lose her any minute now and he didn't want to take his chances with her.

"Fucking bastard killed Rogue and Minerva. He took most of our home and almost took Yukino. He took..."

He couldn't finish the words as a choked sob emitted from his mouth. Lucy stared at him, feeling for his pain. The loss of family was something that she had come accustomed to, and she worried for her father, whom she had not heard from since Acnologia's attacks. With her mother gone and the rest of her family no where to be seen, Lucy worried about her only form of family on this earth.

"What did he do?"

"My nephew." he said grimly.

"Minerva was..." Lucy gasped. Sting's grim features was enough of a sign. She felt hot tears roll down her cheeks at the implications. The first possible Dragon Slayer child gone, his life taken by a monster. The child could've helped build the next generations of Dragon Slayers. They could've rebuilt their family.

"Do the others know?" she asked between hiccups.

"Now we do."

Lucy turned around to see Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy standing near them. Wendy was already crying. Gajeel angrily punched the ground and Natsu's dark aura was felt by everyone in the room, even Lucy. Sting looked up at him, his red eyes glaring in understanding. He knew what they were planning. Lucy knew what they were planning and she immediately stood up and hugged Natsu. She could feel the heat protruding off of him.

"We have 9 months Natsu. We have time to get stronger and make things right. Don't go there and risk your life right now. Not yet," she whispered.

"But that baby Luce. That baby could've had a future!" he shouted, gaining the attention of everyone around him.

"We will avenge them. But not yet. Not now. We need to recover."

Yukino stood up, holding her stomach and breathing heavily. She looked worse for wear. Scars lined her body, some seeming like they would never come off. Others fading away slightly. Her clothes were ripped and barely clung to her, but she had this air of determination surrounding her. While it seemed as if she was going to fall, Sting firmly put his arm around her to steady her weight. The remaining members of Sabertooth turned their attention towards their master.

"As well as Lamia Scale, we have lost people that we will never forget. While this hurts, we need to take our anger and train. Train like we've never trained before. Get stronger and soon... soon we will avenge our family. We will kill Acnologia!" Sting shouted.

The roar produced by Sabertooth filled the guild hall. It wasn't as strong as it could be but it was enough for them. It was all that mattered.

* * *

Juvia walked away from the guild hall, quietly closing the door. She couldn't think or breathe. Unconsciously, she rubbed her stomach to soothe her self. The baby was growing, as she had officially made one month being pregnant. While Lucy and Erza congratulated her and Gray on their new addition, the news about Minerva shook her to her core. She was ready to come out to the guild but the fear of losing her baby scared her more than losing her life. Thought scared her so much that she didn't even notice Gray standing in front of her when she bumped into him. He caught her just before he tripped.

"Gray. Juvia's sorry. She didn't mean to bump into you."

"It's fine Juvia. I heard what happened. Is Lyon okay?" he asked.

"Yes that's why Juvia was there. Juvia went to go check on him to make sure that he was okay." she said quietly.

Gray sighed in relief and held her close to him, taking in her scent once more. She sunk into his warm embrace and appreciated his slow acceptance of her. It would take some time but eventually they would become close friends. Juvia knew that they weren't going to go any further than that, so she took these moments to heart. It was if she was in her own little fantasy. She pulled back, much to Gray's hidden disappointment, and updated him on what happened with Sabertooth.

"Right now, they're hurting, but they're healing as well," she said quietly.

"Juvia, are you okay?" he asked.

She turned her head to the nearby window and stared out at Magnolia, a city struggling to get better. She saw men and women working to rebuilt homes. Children laughing and playing around the debris. Older women cooking, ready to feed the young men. It was peaceful, something she hoped to have one day with her own child. However, the memory of Minerva kept coming to her mind.

"Juvia is worried about the baby. Juvia wants the baby to have a normal life and be happy. But she's afraid that the baby might not be able to have a life, in a world with Acnologia. Juvia's afraid that her child might not be able to have a life and that we won't beat him. Juvia is scared."

Her heart was beating fast as she thought about the possibilities of what if. She was afraid, scared, and downright petrified. Her shoulders were shaking and her breathing was slowing down. Juvia had never felt pure fear until this moment. However, all her thoughts were gone the moment Gray put his arms around her abdomen and rested his head in the crook of her shoulder. He gently rubbed his hands over her stomach, causing her to blush.

"As long as I am breathing, I will protect this you and this child with my life." he said calmly. "We will kill Acnologia and our baby will live their life happy, healthy, and this guild. I promise you."

Juvia leaned back into his touch. She was happy that she decided to have a child with him. She just hoped that one day, he would love her just as much as she loved him.


	12. Chapter 12

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm sorry but my decision is final."

Lucy sighed and glumly walked over to a giddy Natsu, fire sparking off him excitedly. It had been a couple of days after the arrival of Sabertooth and Lamia Scale and things were starting to get crowded. There weren't enough rooms for everyone to stay in and no one could leave Magnolia with the fear of Acnologia attacking them. Because things had gotten out of hand, Makarov decided to make some adjustments so that everyone would feel comfortable. Unfortunately, it was an adjustment that Lucy wasn't quite comfortable with.

"But why him? Can't I just room with someone else?" she asked. Makarov shook his head and he gave up.

"I'm sorry Lucy but this is also for the safety of everyone. Gray needs to stay with Juvia to protect her and the baby. Because Juvia has water magic, she can help heal Gray if necessary. Levy and Gajeel need to stay together because she can provide Iron for him and he has dragon slayer abilities. We need certain people to stay together," said Makarov.

"Oh just drop it for now Luce. Besides, I'm not that bad of a roommate. It's just me and you," he said happily.

"Yeah you, me, and Happy. I'm definitely excited to clean up after you all," she mumbled. Natsu just slung his arm around Lucy while Happy just plopped on her head. As annoyed as she was, she didn't want to admit that she was excited to live with Natsu and Happy. They were her best friends and she wouldn't trade them for the world. Even the thought of sleeping in the same room as Natsu excited her, but she would never admit that to him.

"Don't worry Lucy. I promise that I'll be the best roommate you've ever had," he said. There was that look again. The look that promised her adventures and good times, but also his dedication to her as her friends. It was the same look that dragged her into the crazy ideas that Natsu always had. She shook her head, a faint smile on her face.

"You better be."

* * *

Lucy stared at the Queen size bed, which she frankly felt like was staring back at her. It wasn't as if she was nervous about sharing a room with the fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu and her had years of friendship and late nights to back them up. With the recent missions being assigned to them, Lucy was starting to get comfortable with Natsu. But some part of her just felt nervous about sleeping in the same bed at him. Although there was that moment where Natsu did sleep with her, he had been keeping a comfortable distance since then. But now it seemed inevitable.

With a prompt kick of the door, Natsu and Happy came in with their own luggage, which consisted of a suit case and Happy's bundle stuffed to the brim. Lucy smiled nervously and gestured the two boys to enter her -now their humble abode.

"Lucy, are the dorms here usually this small?" he said.

"This is how it's been since they've converted the former classrooms into makeshift dorms. We had to split them into two in order to accommodate Sabertooth and Lamia Scale." she said.

"Oh I see. Well I'll just take the floor and you can have the bed." he said nonchalantly. The fire mage proceeded to construct a makeshift mat on the floor while Lucy just watched. A part of her was grateful that Natsu didn't force himself to sleep in the same bed as her, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Natsu noticed her fidgeting and smiled at the celestial mage. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry Lucy. We'll get there eventually. Until then, I don't mind at all." he said.

Lucy blushed and mumbled about how he was crazy. Natsu just chuckled.

He bid her good night and settled in on his bed with happy before drifting off to sleep. Lucy snuggled into her own bed, a faint smile on her face.

* * *

Erza wasn't the type to show much emotion. She always stood tall for her friends and fought for them with all her heart. Her emotions came out through her actions and words, choosing to inspire others. But here she was, clad in a night shirt and her underwear, crying her eyes out. The news about Lamia Scale and Sabertooth shook her to her core. But what scared her the most was the lack of news coming from Blue Pegasus and Crime Sorciere.

Ever since their memories were returned, she hadn't heard anything about his whereabouts or if he was even still among the living. She worried for his safety tremendously and just hoped that he was doing well. Just rumors here and there about how Acnologia was tearing up the official guilds to deter aid to Fairy Tail.

Her pillow was soaked with tears, but that wouldn't stop the crying. She just wanted one more moment to spend with Jellal, and she felt that God wouldn't give her that chance anymore. She felt the strong pull of sleep overtaking her when she heard the latch on her window click. It was faint, but enough to scare her and instantly equip to her Heaven's Wheel. The second latch clicked and Erza waited in the shadows for her attacker to show. But what she saw next made her falter her attack.

Climbing into her window sill was none other than the cause of her worries. Badly injured and exhausted, Jellal smirked at her.

"Erza. I've found you. You're okay." he whispered.

Erza watched as he limped over to her before crumbling to the ground. Erza quickly caught him and dragged him to the bathroom, where she cleansed his wounds and drew him a bath. She had long forgotten her armor and was just clad in her white t-shirt and panties that had been stained with his blood. As if she were a doctor in surgery, she worked meticulously to make sure that he was okay. When she deemed him decent, gently carried him to her bed and let him rest, replacing her tear stained pillow with a fresh, dry one. Finally, she carefully maneuvered her body until she was laying next to him, choosing to stay next to him until he was better.

She was glad that he was safe and sound and in her arms. She hoped that in the morning her hard work would be enough for him to wake up.

* * *

When she awoke, Jellal was staring out the window at the slowly rebuilt city of Magnolia. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she sat up in bed and stared at his toned back. The silence made Erza nervous, something that she wasn't usually prone to. Her heart was beating erratically, and her breathing felt shallow. For a moment, she thought she was gonna have a heart attack if they didn't say anything.

"I see you're awake, Erza. How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Well. And you? You're wounds are still fresh, you know." she said quietly.

"I'm well aware."

His gaze was set upon a pair of workers fixing up a building that had been burned down by Acnologia months ago. The people of Magnolia were slowly warming up to the guild, and were a little less hostile than before. But that didn't mean that Fairy Tail didn't earn dirty looks every now and then.

"Jellal, where were you? What happened?" she whispered.

"Erza... Crime Sorciere is gone. Acnologia wiped out almost all of us. Erik and I were the only survivors."

Erza couldn't believe her ears. Everyone in that independent guild was like family to her. Meredy hadn't even hit adulthood yet and she was gone.

"Jellal, I-"

"Every moment that I've spent on this earth, I've committed sin and having been paying for those sins. But now... I am lost..." he said quietly.

"Stay. Just stay with Fairy Tail. I'm sure Erik can stay as well, you know Makarov."

He walked up to Erza and held her close. She snuggled into the crook of his neck, taking in his body heat until it melded with hers. Their heartbeats fell in sync and Erza felt like she could tall into a deep slumber with him.

"Erza if I stay... do you think that people will accept me again? I've hurt so many people that I'm not sure if they will forgive me." he whispered.

Erza looked deep into his eyes and quickly kissed him on the mouth. He was bewildered eyes stifled a giggle in Erza, which eventually turned into a full blown laugh. He could help but quietly laugh at his own ridiculousness and soon the two were laughing heartily.

"This is Fairy Tail, Jellal. You're like family to us."

Erza took his hand and led him down the stairs to the main guildhall. Everyone walked about the guildhall helping others and laughing in a tense moment. Jellal eyes watered seeing the scene before him. Erza gently hugged him from behind.

"Trust me when I say that you are one of us. You are Fairy Tail family."


	13. Chapter 13

The boat ride to Tenrou Island was a long one, but it was enough to make Lucy think about the mission briefing earlier that day. Makarov had told them that retrieving the first master was of the upmost importance. Makarov had informed them that Achnologia had not been sighted around those waters, so it was relatively safe. Nonetheless, he had sent out the best of the best: Natsu, Lucy, Gajeel, Erza, Jellal, and Zeref. Lucy remembered how Gray insisted on going with the group, but the minute Makarov mentioned Juvia, he instantly shut up and sat quietly in the corner.

"Listen, you need to be extremely careful when you get to Tenrou Island. We don't know if Mavis has had her memories returned yet and we aren't sure how she will respond to you guys. Be extremely cautious. You all leave tomorrow," he said quietly. She could see the concerned look on Makarov's face and worried about Natsu, who was eyeing Zeref angrily at the moment.

Now all five of them walking about the boat, hoping that the trip to Tenrou Island would be help their efforts in saving their home. As Gajeel took the lead as captain and steered the boat towards the island, Lucy sat reading one of the latest sorcerer's weekly magazine in her cabin, trying to ease her nerves about returning to a place where Achnologia had terrorized them. They were now four months in and had eight months left before Achnologia would attack Magnolia and its inhabitants. Everyone was getting stronger, but Lucy still couldn't get in contact with the Celestial Spirit King. As hard as she tried, there wasn't an inkling of contact coming through to her. Once this mission was over, she hoped that she could do something about this, maybe even asking one of her spirits to take her to the spirit world in order to contact him.

She thought about the idea even more when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in!" she yelled. Zeref quietly entered the room and waved awkwardly at Lucy, who gently smiled back at him.

"Hey, Lucy. I was wondering if you had a moment to talk?" he asked politely. She nodded and he sat on the bed. There was an awkward pause between the two of them, but Lucy could tell that Zeref was trying to muster up the words he wanted to say to her. She placed her hand on his and smiled deeply at him.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

"It's about Mavis... I'm scared to meet her."

"Zeref, you know that she's going to forgive you for everything."

"Yeah but look at Natsu! He won't even come near me whenever I try and come close to him!" he said. He stood up and scrubbed his head furiously, trying to figure out the situation he had put himself in. Lucy got up as well and patted him on the shoulder.

"Listen to me Zeref. Mavis loves you and you love her. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can ever change the way that you two feel about each other. That's just the way love works. And Natsu? He'll come around. I'll make sure of it," she said.

Zeref smiled at the young girl and hugged her tightly, which she affectionately returned.

However, the moment was short lived because Natsu burst in, his happy smile now angry and hardened. The sight before his eyes was a flushed looking Lucy and a messy looking Zeref due to his ruffled hair. The two quickly let go of each other and Zeref promptly left the room, but not before feeling Natsu's dark aura wash over the room and onto his shoulder. Once he was gone, Natsu turned back to Lucy, only to find her giving him an angry look.

"What?" he said. She rolled her eyes and closed the door behind him.

"You know, you don't have to treat him that way. People change Natsu," she said.

"Yeah, but he doesn't count. He's just as bad as Achnologia," he said.

"Well that doesn't mean that you can treat him like shit. He's trying Natsu. You aren't." At some point, Natsu had walked up to Lucy and glared her. He wanted her to back down on the topic, but she was refusing to do so.

"Lucy, I'm just trying to keep you safe, that's all. I don't trust him and I don't want to see you hurt again."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don't need saving Natsu? That maybe I can protect you?" she said.

"Well, I-"

"Listen to me and listen well. I am my own woman who is training just as hard as you to get better. Don't ever think that I'm going play the damsel in distress for the rest of my life because I will fight with every single breathe to protect the ones I love. I'll be fine."

At this point, Natsu was speechless, something Lucy could never imagine would happen to the dragon slayer. But after her little speech, there was nothing Natsu wanted to do more was kiss her until the end of time. But the moment was gone since he didn't realize that Lucy had left her cabin while he was lost in thought. He couldn't help but smile to himself and chased after the woman of his dreams.

* * *

"Ahh, there you are bunny girl. We're about ten minutes away from Tenrou Island," said Gajeel as he steered the boat closer to the approaching island. Lucy could feel the goosebumps rising on her skin, but her mind was on the memories that she had made the last time she was there. The events on Tenrou Island shook her to her core and sometimes she would find herself having nightmares. But she knew that this a new life for her and that she wasn't that same runaway teen long ago.

"I can already feel my magic power start to grow. Maybe I can finally get in contact with the Celestial Spirit King!" she yelled happily. Gajeel just nodded his head, returning his attention back to his task.

When the boat finally docked on the island, the first thing that Erza did was split the teams in to two groups: Jellal, Erza, and Gajeel would look for Mavis near her old hometown where her village was built while Lucy, Natsu, and Zeref would look near her grave site to figure out if she was resting there. Erza had made it quite clear to the three of them that it was better to work together than split up, but Natsu kept huffing, much to Lucy's frustration, as they headed towards the grave. Zeref was quiet for the most part, and stayed towards the front with Lucy while Natsu eyed him from behind.

Tired of the silence, Lucy finally decided to start a conversation with Zeref.

"So Zeref, what were your memories like when you go them back?" she asked.

"All I remember was the pain that I felt, the feelings of despair. Not much to talk about there," he said quietly.

Lucy internally cringed at her question and quickly tried to think of something else to change the topic. Even though it was awkward, she hoped that her next question wasn't as morbid and awkward as the first.

"Sorry about that. If you don't mind me asking... how did you die, Zeref?" The young black haired boy pondered over her question for a moment. But before he could respond, there was a rustling in the forest. The entire group stopped and Natsu quickly came up behind Lucy, using his senses to smell the surrounding area. His nose took him towards a small bush, which shook furiously the closer he got. Lucy had turned her attention towards him, but hadn't noticed the far away look in Zeref's eyes. Natsu quickly jumped at the bush and pulled out a shivering little bunny that shook furiously in his hands.

Just as Natsu was turning around to respond, he stopped dead in his tracks when a young girl with long, opaque blond hair came rushing at him to take the frightened bunny from him. She gently pet its head and glared angrily at Natsu before releasing it into the wild.

"What is wrong with you? You don't just attack a kit like that! Are you crazy? You need to learn some manners, young man," Mavis said.

The whole group was silent as she stared at them awkwardly. Zeref couldn't take his eyes off of her. He took in every detail of her physical features and eventually, he released the breath that he had been holding. To him, she still held that same beautiful smile since the last time he saw her. Her eyes seemed just a little brighter this time around. All he wanted to do was hold her petite frame and never let her go. But his memories of the things he had done came rushing back again and he found his legs moving as far away as they could from her.

Much to Lucy's surprise, Natsu ran after his brother and left her with the very confused first master of Fairy Tail. Mavis watched the two brothers go and wrinkled her nose in confusion.

"What was that all about? Who are you people?"

Lucy turned to the young girl and smiled awkwardly at her. "Um, maybe we should go sit down? This is gonna be a long story."

* * *

Zeref had made it to a large outing which led to a cliff opening. He walked towards the edge, wondering if jumping would be the right call. He ruffled his hair and sat on the edge, swinging his legs over the edge and deciding to watch the sunset. He could hear footsteps coming up behind him, but chose it ignore it's presence, hoping that that the person coming up behind him would take him away forever.

However, to his surprise, he saw Natsu sit right next to him, quietly watching the sunset as well. Zeref felt his stomach churning and just hoped that Natsu didn't lay it into him too hard. It took a few moments before either of them had finally broke the silence.

"Natsu, what are you doing here?" Zeref asked. He threw a pebble over the edge and wondered how long it would take it to fall until it splattered on the cold hard earth.

"I think that the real question is what are you doing here?" he asked.

Zeref scoffed and got up, quickly walking away from the scene and heading as far away from his brother as best as he could. However, Natsu quickly caught up to him and stopped his brother, who pushed him away.

"What am I supposed to do? Tell her I killed her in our old life and that I'm miraculously in in love with her and want to make things right? I can't face her like this!" Zeref said. Without even thinking about it, Natsu quickly punched him in the face and earned a nice punch back from his angry black haired sibling. The two brother kept throwing punches at each other, rolling all over the ground until Natsu managed to pin him down. Zeref struggled a little more but eventually gave up.

"Listen man. I don't understand what you had with Mavis at all. But if it's anything like what I currently have with Lucy, then you need to fight for it! Whether you like it or not, you're Fairy Tail family now. We take care of each other and if you're gonna take care of Mavis, then you have to stop being weak!" Natsu said. He pushed Zeref away and walked back into the forest. Zeref laid there and watched the day changed into night, wishing that he could change his life again.


End file.
